en.Wedoany.com Reported - With the growth of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and data processing, cooling energy consumption is becoming increasingly important in data center operations. The pilot plant uses mirrors to concentrate solar radiation onto a central tower, generating both electricity and thermal energy. The electricity can be used for conventional power supply, while the thermal energy drives an absorption chiller system that produces chilled water for air conditioning in industrial facilities and data centers, addressing one of the largest energy demands of data centers.
The plant has an installed power generation capacity of 1 MW and a thermal capacity of 2.2 MW. Since its commissioning, the project has received cumulative investments exceeding 74 million reais, of which approximately 68 million reais came from the Research and Development program of the Brazilian National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL). The plant has the ability to store thermal energy for up to three days and can achieve continuous dispatch for up to 17 hours, a feature considered strategically significant in an electricity system with an increasing share of renewable energy.
In addition to data center applications, the company is also evaluating the technology's future competitive potential against battery energy storage systems and even thermal power plants in scenarios requiring flexibility and power dispatch. Furthermore, Axia Energia operates a hybrid plant in the state of Bahia, combining solar, wind, batteries, and a data center for Bitcoin mining, with a focus on improving operational flexibility and reducing losses from transmission constraints and generation curtailment.
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